Ménière's Disease: Treatment Overview

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Treatment Overview

Although Ménière's disease cannot be cured, treatment is available to control symptoms and reduce the frequency of attacks. During an attack, medications may be used to reduce vertigo and control nausea and vomiting.

Unfortunately, no treatment is available to prevent the hearing loss that may eventually occur with progressive attacks of Ménière's disease.

Initial and ongoing treatment

Early and ongoing treatment of Ménière's disease focuses on controlling the symptoms—especially vertigo, a spinning sensation—and reducing the frequency of attacks. Changing your diet may reduce the number and frequency of future attacks.

Treatment most often used to reduce the frequency and severity of attacks of Ménière's disease includes:

• Taking medications such as diuretics to reduce the accumulation of fluid (endolymph) in the inner ears .
• Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, tobacco, and stress or any substances or conditions that trigger an attack.
• Taking vestibular suppressant medications (such as antihistamines or sedatives) to calm the inner ear.
• Eating a low-salt diet to reduce fluid build up in the inner ears. For more information, see:

  Eating a low-salt diet for Ménière's disease.

It is important to minimize the personal safety risks posed by Ménière's disease. For more information, see:

Taking safety precautions for Ménière's disease.

Balance exercises for vertigo.

Vertigo may be easier to tolerate if you lie down and hold your head very still until the attack passes. Medicines such as antihistamines may be used to reduce vertigo. Antiemetic medications may be used to control nausea and vomiting.

Treatment if the condition gets worse

If symptoms of Ménière's disease do not respond to treatment, surgery is an option. The goal of surgery is to eliminate the symptoms of Ménière's disease without destroying hearing in the affected ear.

In rare circumstances, severe, persistent vertigo caused by Ménière's disease may be treated by destroying the balance center in the inner ear (labyrinth) through surgery (labyrinthectomy) or with an antibiotic injected into the ear (chemical ablation) to destroy the labyrinth. Because these treatments usually cause deafness in that ear, they are generally used only as a last resort.

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Last updated:	November 07, 2006
Author:	Ralph Poore
Reviewed By:	Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine, Barrie J. Hurwitz, MD - Neurology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman